Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in northern Cameroon on Sunday as security forces fired teargas to disperse crowds supporting opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary.
The demonstrators defied a government ban on public gatherings ahead of the official announcement of the presidential election results.
The Constitutional Council is expected to release the results of the October 12 presidential vote on Monday. Authorities had imposed a ban on protests until then, citing security concerns.
Despite the restrictions, supporters of Tchiroma took to the streets in Garoua, his northern stronghold, waving flags and chanting slogans such as “Goodbye Paul Biya, Tchiroma is coming.”
Tchiroma, who claims victory with 54.8 percent of the vote, called on his supporters to march peacefully. He has accused the government of trying to silence the opposition.
After nearly two hours of demonstrations, police deployed teargas to break up the gathering. Dozens of people fled as officers moved in to enforce the ban.
The opposition candidate also claimed in a video released on Sunday that military personnel attempted to arrest him at his home.
While protests erupted in Garoua, the atmosphere in the capital, Yaoundé, remained tense but calm. Reports said residents stayed indoors amid a heavy police presence.
In Douala, the country’s commercial hub, several dozen protesters also defied the ban near the airport before security forces dispersed them.
Two opposition figures — Djeukam Tchameni of the Movement for Democracy and Interdependence (MDI) and Anicet Ekane of the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon (Manidem) — were arrested on Friday in Douala, according to the opposition coalition backing Tchiroma.
Cameroon’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, condemned the protests on Saturday, warning that they “create conditions for a security crisis” and could trigger “an insurrectionist project.”
President Paul Biya, 92, who has ruled the country for over four decades, is widely expected to secure an eighth term.
Critics have long accused his government of manipulating elections to maintain power.
As tensions rise, fear of a repeat of previous post-election unrest.
Opposition groups, however, insist they will continue to demand transparency in the vote counting process.
